In Her Wake
by madeofstar0stuff
Summary: "She saw all the hatred, self-loathing, and broken trust that I kept wrapped up so tightly inside and called it something along the lines of beautiful. In return, I gave her everything that I ever was and everything I ever would be." Eventual Lara x Sam. M rating for later chapters.
1. The Girl Who Waits

**DISCLAIMER: I in no way or under any circumstances am claiming any part of the Tomb Raider Franchise. It is owned by whatever group of pure intellectual minds created it. In fact, I bow down and kiss the ground they walk upon for creating all that is Tomb Raider. Your devotees thank you and are humbled by your genius.  
**

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**A/N: _Hi everyone! So this is my first attempt at a Tomb Raider fanfic and I'm so glad I've finally begun. Really, I was planning on writing one as soon as I finished the reboot game but I got lazy. It wasn't until I read Asynca's, "The Camera Loves You" that I really kicked my butt into motion. If you somehow haven't read Asynca's story, stop right now and go read it. No really, its absolutely amazing and my fanfiction has got nothing on her stuff.  
Anywho, I really hope you enjoy what I've written so far. I finished this at some god awful hour in the night (morning?) so if there are any mistakes, I apologize ahead of time. When I've had ample amount of sleep, I'll come back and proof read it again.  
So, without further ado, I give you, "In Her Wake". :D_**

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In Her Wake

_Chapter One: The Girl Who Waits  
_

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"_Come on, that's enough Sam. No more recordings. I'm trying to study, unlike someone I know," Lara gave the camera a pointed look and tried to look reprimanding. She failed miserably. The subtle quirk of her full lips ruined the stern appearance she was going for._

_The camcorder shifted slightly and my voice sounded loud as it reverberated from somewhere behind the capturing lens. "It's called a much needed break, Lara. You should try it sometime."_

_A delicate eyebrow arched over amused eyes. "Your idea of a break is filming me while I study?"_

"_Oh, most definitely!" The zooming mechanism was activated and suddenly the entire frame was filled with the archeologist's soulful brown eyes. "You'll be a famous explorer one day and people will be lining up out the door just to get a glimpse of you." My voice turned sly as I went on. "Of course, that's when I step in and offer them a once in a lifetime deal…"_

_The camera panned down to those perfectly curved lips as they parted slowly to issue, "And what, pray tell, is this 'once in a lifetime deal' you speak of?" _

"_The chance to purchase my award-winning documentary; 'Lara Croft – The Explorer Extraordinaire.' The world will never be the same." _

_The frame zoomed back out to capture the full effect of her smile._

_######_

I paused the playback with a click of the mouse and leaned out of my chair towards the bright computer screen. I silently studied the young woman frozen on the monitor's display and I'm once again momentarily stunned by how beautiful she is. Plus, the fact that she somehow doesn't even grasp the extent of her attractiveness only makes her that much more appealing. I trace the image of my friend's brown eyes and note the way they crinkle slightly at their edges. A wisp of chocolate colored hair has escaped its loose ponytail and clings stubbornly to dark eyelashes. I recall all the times that same unruly lock has been carelessly swept aside as Lara buries her nose into a book. I wonder what she would say if she knew of all the times I've had to restrain myself from reaching out and tucking it lovingly behind a small ear.

Of course, Lara knows nothing of the depths of my love for her. Although I fearfully wonder at times, if she contemplates why we may appear perhaps _too_ close at times. Sometimes when she doesn't think I'm looking, I'm certain I can see it in her eyes. Like, after a hug that lasts a bit too long or a heated look I don't hide quickly enough, she'll stare at me with this curious expression as if she's on the verge of telling me something I desperately wish to hear. Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately—she never says. But no. It's probably all in my head. I've never given Lara any reason to suspect that I may have ulterior motives in the harmless flirting I subject her to.

It's just some nights, like tonight, I get paranoid that if she ever found out how I really feel about her, I'd lose her forever. I honestly don't know if I could handle the loss of her. I'm so sure that Lara has burrowed herself so deep underneath my skin and for so long, that she's become something like a vital organ. So if I were to suddenly lose her…

My parents never had time for me. I was the unplanned child who didn't quite fit into their fast-paced and glamorous lifestyle. I guess a snotty kid didn't make a great enough fashion accessory in the highlife. For a time, they thought they could placate their attention-starved child with false promises and materialistic bullshit. So I did the only thing I knew how to do in order to receive their attention; I lashed out. I became rebellious and self destructive, always causing trouble for my parents. It started out small (drawing on walls with permanent ink; breaking the heels of my mother's expensive shoes; skipping school) but eventually it escalated to a point that surprised even me (underage drinking; stealing my father's Porsche; getting into trouble with the law).

It worked extremely well in attracting their attention, even if it was only to yell and curse me. But eventually my parents just wrote me off as a lost cause and couldn't be bothered with me any longer. They ended up paying a great sum of money and shipped me off to a boarding school in London. Little did I know that that decision turned out to be the best thing they've ever done for me because it was there that I met Lara Croft.

I still clearly remember the first time I saw her. She was sitting quietly at her desk with her nose buried so deeply in a book that I briefly wondered how she hadn't gone cross-eyed. After that odd thought I realized that she looked so lonely amongst the rowdy teenagers that congregated in tight circles around her and yelled to be heard over each other. In that moment, I knew I had found someone who felt as isolated and alone as me. I recognized it in the tight bunching of her frail shoulders and lowered head, as if she were barely holding up under some great weight that threatened to crush her.

To this day I still don't know what prompted her to abruptly look up from her book and stare straight at the angry half Japanese girl standing in the classroom doorway and smile timidly. I didn't know it in that moment, but I had found my whole world wrapped up in that shyly offered smile but I did know one thing; I suddenly didn't feel so alone anymore.

We became fast friends and I wasn't just Sam anymore. Just the same as it wasn't just Lara anymore. We were Lara and Sam, Sam and Lara. No one mentioned one of our names without the other's. Where ever one could be found, the other was never far behind.

Lara was like a soothing balm to my angry, festering soul. Her quiet, soft-spoken demeanor slowed me down when all my life I had been moving at neck breaking speeds towards a hard left to nowhere. She saw all the hatred, self-loathing, and broken trust that I kept wrapped up so tightly inside and called it something along the lines of beautiful. In return, I gave her everything that I ever was and everything I ever would be.

So it came as no surprise that when Lara decided to attend University College of London after boarding school, I was right beside her. I watched my best friend throw everything she had into her studies in order to follow in her father's footsteps as an archeologist all the while working in order to pay her tuition and rent. And she excelled. However, I was floundering to stay afloat my first year since I couldn't decide which major would allow me to stay close to Lara. But I was never envious or jealous of how she had everything figured out and how to go about doing it all mapped out in her head. The way I saw it, Lara was my better half.

So what if I was left in her wake?

That would just be putting me in the position I needed to be in to catch her if she falls.

It took some time but eventually I decided to major in filmmaking. I'd be lying if I told someone I had chosen it after a long while of careful consideration. In all honesty, the decision was made in the span of one thirty minute episode of a once popular TV show. I wasn't aware who he would come to be to Lara and I, but it was actually a younger Dr. James Whitman's hit show that began my career in documentary films.

I was lounging around the dorm room I shared with Lara channel surfing when I came across a rerun of, 'Exploring for the Truth With Dr. James Whitman". It was about halfway through the episode when the idea came to me. I could document Lara's adventures as an archeologist. Not caring for the fact that I had never even picked up a video camera with serious intent to film my entire life, I was determined to graduate with a degree in filmmaking.

The next day I bought the best camcorder money could buy (God knows I had plenty of it) and within a few hours my spark of interest became an all-consuming inferno when I began filming Lara as she went about her day. Having the camera gave me something I never thought I could have: pieces of Lara that were irrevocably mine.

With just a flimsy contraption made of wires, lenses, and connections, I could capture fragments of the girl I loved more than life itself. I'd catch a smile here or a soft spoken word there and I could document it, download it to a hard drive, and save it till I decided to let it go. Before I knew it I had records of every façade of Lara, every emotion, every hello and every goodbye. Whether she was at her worst or at her best, to me she was still everything good in the world and for however long the footage lasted, she was mine.

Almost immediately after graduation we had signed up for the expedition aboard the ship Endurance. Lara was determined, if a little timid, to find the lost kingdom of Yamatai. When I learned that Dr. Whitman would be the lead archeologist, I had to spare an incredulous laugh at the coincidence. We met with the other crew members as well and I can't say I was too pleased to find out Alex Weiss, whom pinned after Lara all throughout university, was aboard as a technician. However, I was happy to learn that Roth was the captain of the Endurance which came as no surprise to me since he was so protective of my best friend. I found Jonah, Grim, and Reyes to be a breath of fresh air as they offered a sort of working friendship with ease.

I wonder how any one of us could have ever predicted what a nightmare Yamatai turned out to be. Even after two months of being back in Japan, I still have a hard time believing that it all truly happened. Even now, a small part of me expects to wake up back in my dorm room at UCL. I mean, some of the things that happened were so unreal that it seems like something taken straight out of some fucked up horror movie. The haunted look in Lara's eyes after we escaped is the biggest reminder that it was all, in fact, very real.

Every morning when I first open my eyes to a new day I wonder how the hell I'm still alive. The answer comes to me as an image of Lara drawing the string of her bow, an arrow poised and ready to fly. She saved me. Every time I thought I was finally going to die, she'd show up just in time to thwart any attempts on my life. I still have nightmares where I can hear Lara screaming my name like a desperate plea or a mantra as I'm carried away once again from the sound of gunfire. In that moment the fear is overwhelming and an almost tangible thing that coils in my stomach and tightens about my neck, choking me.

And the obvious truth that all it takes is one bullet out of countless to find its mark and that would be the end. My whole world would be snuffed out with a single blaze cutting a trail through flesh and bone and tissue. In my dreams I scream for her to just leave me, to forget all about me and to save herself even though I know she can't hear me in the firefight. I don't stop calling out though and when I wake after each nightmare, I'm sobbing and fumbling in the dark bedroom in order to seek out my best friend who is not there. When I realize that I'm alone, I sit in the middle of my bed and try to convince myself that the shadows are not closing in on me.

I clutch the jade necklace hanging about my neck in a tight fist and combat the all too familiar feelings of abandonment that I had never associated with Lara until she disappeared without a word two week after the horrors of Yamatai were over. She left no note or explanation. Only the necklace that she always wore ever since she received it from her father before he disappeared was found perched on the dresser in the hotel room we shared.

I started wearing it like a promise, waiting for Lara's return. But it didn't keep the panic attacks or night terrors away and somewhere in the back of my mind, I acknowledged that the thing I most feared had come to pass. I had lost Lara. And by some sick twist of fate, it wasn't even because I had finally thrown caution to the wind and confessed my feelings. So I would sit in the dark, gripping Lara's necklace until I work up the courage to sit at my computer and replay footage of my best friend.

Which leads me to where I am at this exact moment, tracing the image of my friend's face still frozen on the small display with wet, unfocused eyes (which can be blamed on the mostly empty bottle of Corona sitting near the mouse pad).

Lara would be so disappointed if she saw me now. She wouldn't understand why the angry teenager that I once was so long ago had made her reappearance.

I'm just so weak without her. Especially now, after the nightmare that was Yamatai. I have to drink myself to forgetfulness just so the empty space where my heart used to be doesn't feel so gaping.

I reach out and brush my fingertips lightly over the computer projection of Lara's face and wish I was able to reach through and brush the hair away from her eyes like I've always wanted to.

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_**Chapter Song: "Holding Onto You" by Twenty One Pilots  
**_

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_**A/N#2: And there we have it folks! Love it? Hate it? Dare I ask, Loathe it? Please take just a small amount of time and send me a review. If this kind and humble way of asking for reviews isn't doing it for you, then I'll have to take a more direct approach...  
How about... I've gone out and kidnapped an undisclosed amount of garden gnomes **_**_and at this very moment have them held at gun point. For every review I receive_**, **_a single garden gnome is saved. The rest will be violently disposed of.  
So, do the garden gnomes a favor and save a life by reviewing._**

-**Star**


	2. They Hit Without Warning

**DISCLAIMER: I in no way or under any circumstances am claiming any part of the Tomb Raider Franchise. It is owned by whatever group of pure intellectual minds created it. In fact, I bow down and kiss the ground they walk upon for creating all that is Tomb Raider. Your devotees thank you and are humbled by your genius.**

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**A/N: _Yes! I managed to finish this chapter within the time limit I had set for myself. I'm so proud! But enough of that, you probably are happy to know that seventeen gnomes were saved in the last chapter, leaving only three to succumb to their horrible fates. Not bad, if you ask me. Haha! I'm actually extremely pleased with how much my readers enjoyed my last chapter but I have to be a little...tiny...itty bitty bit selfish with this new chapter. I had such a fun time writing it that I hope my readers will gift me with even more reviews this time around.  
Oh, and the gnomes aren't off the hook yet. I plan to utilize them as leverage in getting reviews from each and every one of you for the remainder of this story.  
Poor gnomes..._**

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In Her Wake

Chapter Two: They Hit Without Warning

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_The picture fuzzed up for a moment around the edges before focusing slowly on the young woman coming through the front door, pulling her key out of the lock. She was still dressed in her work clothes which consisted of a bright red shirt emblazoned with the words 'Jack's Pizza Parlor' across the front and a black ball cap. Her hair was still pulled back in its usual messy ponytail. Tossing her keys on the kitchen counter, she bent over with a loud groan and she struggled to slip off her shoes without the strap of her messenger bag sliding from her shoulder. She only gave a fleeting glance at the camera pointed her way, familiar with its ever present attendance. _

_The camera was jarred around a bit before being placed on the end table next to the sofa. I appeared from the left side of the screen, making a beeline towards Lara. The expensive built-in microphone managed to pick up our quiet conversation._

"_Hi," I spoke up first, my voice cheerful as ever. _

_The same mumbled reply was returned. I began to fret over Lara's weary stance and hurriedly reached to take her heavy bag weighed down by numerous textbooks. I then proceeded to lead the girl over to the couch where the television was still playing softly nearby, lighting up the dim room at random intervals. We both huddled together, our heads bowed as if whispering secrets to each other. Lara's face was turned slightly away from the angle of the camera though she still made a beautiful picture with the play of lights dancing across her soft features._

"_You work too hard," I murmured in a tone that spoke of my displeasure, abruptly shattering the near silence that had descended upon the room._

_Lara's lips thinned into a tight frown as if my comment was a direct blow to her pride. "I'm fine." _

_I shifted slightly on the sofa, momentarily blocking Lara from the camera's view. "Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we go to that black light party that's happening next week?" I questioned, voice rising with my excitement. My next words rose even higher, turning playful. "I promise to save you a dance."_

_My cheery demeanor accomplished what I had been waiting for; a small smile broke across Lara's face. "I don't know, Sam. You know how Professor Yarlon assigned that essay that's due only a week from now."_

"_It's just one night, Lara." Anyone could practically hear my eyes rolling at her excuse. "Your entire scholarship isn't riding upon the flawless completion of one essay. Besides, Yarlon's a dick."_

"_Sam!" Lara somehow managed to admonish me through a fit of giggles. The shock on her face surprisingly genuine at my outburst. She looked so comical with her eyebrows raised near her hairline, a wide grin splitter her face._

"_What?" I shrugged. "It's true. Plus, he's always staring at his students' asses."_

_Lara's mouth dropped open in disbelief before playfully shoving my shoulder. "He does not," she scoffs, unbelieving._

_My head is thrown back from the loud laugh that escapes me. Lara makes an offhand comment through her own hilarity about how my laughing is the contagious type. Once I'm able to speak once again, I continue where I left off. "Really, now. You shouldn't be so surprised. I'm sure he's even thrown a glance or three at your own. Can't say I blame him. I mean, damn…" I draw out the last word, careful to enunciate it very clearly._

_A sharp gasp as Lara's jaw drops impossibly further. Unaware, I don't notice her hand shooting out to grab one of the pillows resting on the sofa before it's flung in my face._

"_Hey!" I cry out, mockingly appalled at my best friend's actions. A quickly retreating Lara makes a break for her bedroom. The door slams shut just as the pillow I had launched across the room thumps into the wooden door harmlessly, missing its intended target. Suddenly, the door opens once again but only far enough for Lara to stick her head out and mock my so called, 'horrid aim'._

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My heart pounds so hard against my chest that I briefly wonder if it is at all possible for it to somehow come bursting through my chest cavity.

Fucking night terrors.

Wiping the drying tears from my face, I sit up in my empty bed and glance around the apartment. I conclude that it must be sometime around early dawn since my room is cast in a dim grey and moisture can be seen gathering like spiders in the corners of my window.

I sit in the stillness for a long while, thumbing the necklace I wore and gazing longingly at the video camera that sits on the computer desk across the room. Clearing my throat, I pad across the cool hardwood floor with bare feet all the while fussing with the hem of my t-shirt that continued to brush against my upper thighs irksomely.

Grabbing the camera, I clutch it close to my heart before sitting on the sofa that took up most of the space in the small living room. Absentmindedly, I realize that I could have easily afforded a bigger place with the large sum of money sitting at my fingertips (courtesy of the parents that could only be bothered to call me once after Yamatai.)

"What a fucking joke," I said to the empty apartment, not sure if I meant my worthless parents or the state that I had been reduced to. I decided to start laughing sarcastically regardless. Though, the furniture didn't join in so I guess it wasn't all that funny. Turning on the television offered little respite. I settled on some mindless cartoon with characters that had over exaggerated voices that grated on my nerves but I put up with it since I preferred annoyance over the numbness that had seemed to have made a permanent residence inside my soul as of late.

Turning my attention away from the TV, I pop open the LCD screen of my camera and fiddle with the power switch. I contemplate if I really want to view the hours upon hours of footage I had collected of Lara once again. I'm cut off from my mental debate when the ghostly sound of my phone ringing catches my immediate attention. I stare at the chirping device resting near an electrical outlet, charging itself nonstop like it has been for nearly a month now. Squinting at it like I can't quite believe it still has the audacity to work, I slowly walk over in order to retrieve it. I'm handling the thing like it's some bomb waiting to explode and peer at the small screen.

I don't recognize the number. My first stray thought is that it could possibly be Lara calling me and my heart comes to a screeching halt before beating wildly. It then does a complete three-sixty and plummets once common sense reminds me that Lara would be calling me from her cell phone. After that thought is discarded, I become even more suspicious. No one has called me in ages, so why now would I be getting a call on a Sunday morning? For a moment, I'm seriously considering just letting it go to voicemail before I realize how stupid I'm acting.

I connect the call and hold it to my ear. Wary and still a little confused, I ask, "Um, hello?"

"Oh God, Sam! Thank God! Sam, listen! Listen to me! Get out! You hear me? Get out of there now! Right now, Sam!"

"L-Lara?" I stutter stupidly, completely thrown for a loop when I realize that it's her. Her! My best friend and secret love I haven't heard from in months. I'm so shocked that I almost drop the phone.

"Sam, now! Get out! GET OUT!" she screams so loud that my ear begins to ring. I almost don't recognize it at first but then my blood runs cold when I finally realize that the ominous sound I'm hearing is the dial tone. The call has been suddenly disconnected.

I hesitantly stand there, still squinting at my phone like it will suddenly start spewing forth answers to the rapid fire questions tumbling about my brain. In that moment, I have a lot more questions than answers but I come to terms with two definitive, indisputable facts. One: Lara's in some kind of trouble. And two: I need to get the hell out of my apartment.

Tearing across the room and flinging my bedroom door open, I hastily pull on a wrinkled pair of jeans and lace up my boots with fumbling fingers that refuse to function properly. I'm cursing under my breath while tossing my phone, wallet, and camera into a single backpack when suddenly the fires of hell descend on my room. The entire apartment is lit up by ear-piercing gunfire. I immediately drop to the floor as if felled by dynamite and cover my ringing ears as a hail of bullets eats through glass and drywall mere inches above where I lay. The bullets seem like they are everywhere at once, obliterating everything in its path. Shattered glass rains down upon my prone form where my window has literally exploded above me.

The ugly sound of bullets being spit out of some automatic weapon seems to go on forever, each second stretching out to encompass lifetimes.

Then as suddenly as it began, it stopped. Hesitantly, I lift my head from where it was pressed tightly against the hard floor. I flinch at the shards of glass that fall from my head and back and clatter to the floor like hundreds of broken dishes. I can't even hear the sound of my heart rushing blood throughout my body over the loud ringing in my ears. As if in a daze, I take in the hole-littered walls around me and watch the dust particles lazily swim about the room.

From far off, I hear a strangled whine of some wounded animal and offer a moment's sympathy. Another beat and I'm horrified to realize that it's coming from me. Immediately, I clamp a hand tightly over my mouth in order to cut off the terrible sound and silently will myself to move.

I can't. Fear has congealed the blood in my every extremity and like poison, it swirls in my gut and head, slowing my mind from formulating some kind of plan of escape. A stray thought enters my mind from seemingly nowhere.

_I wonder if this is how Lara felt._

With that, I'm suddenly able to fight against the mind-numbing fear and I take control again. Crawling on my hands and knees toward the bathroom, I barely spare a glance at the door which is splintered and held on by only the bottom hinge. My eyes dart about fearfully, seemingly of their own accord. I almost loose it completely when I become aware that something has got me by my ankle.

I almost sob in relief when I realize it's only the strap of the backpack I had been packing earlier caught about my boot. Pulling the backpack with me and not caring for the glass cutting into my hands and knees, I make it to my intended destination. I have to stand in order to step over the large porcelain pieces littering the floor that once belonged to the toilet and bathtub. As if shards of glass weren't worrisome enough, water is pooling all over the floor from the busted latrine so now I have to be mindful of not slipping on top of stabbing myself.

I have a hard time attempting to focus on my immediate surrounds since my eyes won't stop darting about uncontrollably, looking for any sign of my attackers. Which, considering I'm in my bathroom that was just shot to smithereens only a moment ago, is completely ridiculous. I finally take the time to pull the backpack onto my shoulders, tightening the straps till it pinches the skin underneath my arms. Surveying the small room, I evaluate what my options are.

There's a plunger (possible weapon?), a wrecked cupboard (hiding spot?), and a small window…

My knees went weak with relief. I don't think I've ever been happier to see a window in my entire life. I was about to just waltz on out of there when a major problem occurred to me. I lived on the twelfth floor of a high-rise apartment complex.

Ignoring every instinct that screamed at me to just curl up in a ball and pray for some miracle, I used the busted toilet to step up and hoist the little window open. It groaned in protest as I tried to bully it into submission and refused to budge but eventually my desperation won out. It slid open slowly, fighting every inch I succeeded in gaining, and I can't stop the little squeak of triumph that escapes from my lips.

I take a good look out the window and freeze with indecision. It suddenly becomes all too real that I could very possibly plummet to my imminent death. I feel the familiar tingling of an anxiety attack constricting my airway and panic is starting to set in. Before I can let it overcome me, I've got my legs dangling out the opening.

"Okay, you know what they all say in the movies, Sam. Don't look down," Not the best pep talk I've ever given myself. At least I was able to mostly ignore the way my voice wavered shakily. Unfortunately, I still haven't gained control of my wildly shifting eyes so almost immediately after my speech trails off, I look towards the ground.

"Holy shit!" I yelp, my voice unusually high. The distance between me and the ground is enormous. One wrong move and I might as well kiss my ass goodbye. On cue, my arms and legs increase their uncontrollable quaking. A sharp breeze whips my hair into my eyes and it's in that moment that I notice the large air condition box unit directly below me and to the right, a neighbor's balcony. I figure that there's a very real possibility that I can lower myself onto the AC unit make a leap to the patio.

If only it were so easy.

It's almost surreal as I find myself hanging only by my hands, my entire body stretched as far as humanly possible. It's then that I start to feel extremely sorry for myself when I realize that my feet don't quite reach the metal box, meaning that I will just have to let myself drop the last few inches. The brick wall scratches my stomach where my shirt has ridden up and my hands begin to cramp from the death grip I have on the window pane. There's absolutely no way I have the strength to pull myself back up to safety.

I'm focusing on my ragged breathing, counting each exhale as I try to decide if I have enough courage to just let myself drop the rest of the way. The decision is made for me when suddenly the sound of a loud bang can be heard emitting from my apartment. The front door to my apartment was being kicked in.

Throwing caution to the wind, I let go.

The sickening feeling of falling turns my stomach inside out before my boots come into contact with the AC unit. My boots make a solid thud with the impact and I feel the metal surface shift underneath my weight. I'm almost thrown from my perch but manage to pinwheel my arms enough to regain balance. Straightening my stance and hugging the wall for dear life, I notice my next impossible feat—the six or seven foot jump to the balcony on my right.

I tried to recall a time where I ever jumped that length without a running start in some other deathly scenario and come up short. Once again, my choice to cower is taken from me when the metal box squeaks like it's in its death throes and begins to slide out from under me.

I push off the crumbling surface just in time to launch myself towards the balcony.

By some miracle, my entire upper body slams into the metal railing and I'm able to hang on. A bark of pain rushes out of me from the jarring impact and I can practically feel my teeth rattling. Quickly, I scramble over the railing, feet thrashing about wildly, before coming to a rest on solid ground. If I had the time, I'd have kissed the ground and vowed eternal servitude for how grateful I was to still be alive.

However, slavery would have to wait. I had to get to Lara. Wherever that happened to be.

Thanking every deity that it was common practice for people to keep their balcony doors unlocked, I hastily made my way into the abandoned apartment. From the waffles still cooling on the kitchen counter, I think it was pretty safe to say that the residents had vacated the premises after the first shots were heard.

Peeling out the front door, I made my way to the stairwell since elevators had a tendency to get you killed in horror movies. I made it down the first flight of stairs in one piece when I catch sight of the fire alarm switch. The words 'pull in case of emergency' might as well had been replaced with 'Sam's salvation'.

Soon the entire building is lit up by flashing lights and the horrible wailing of the alarm starts to blare. To add to the madness, the sprinkler system wired throughout the building sputters to life. By the time I make it to the ground floor, the lobby is packed with people soaked to the bone. I easily make my escape in the mass confusion.

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**Chapter's Song: "Open Your Eyes" by Snow Patrol**

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**A/N#2: _Wow! Bet none of you saw that coming! Haha! I hope I did a good job in the first chapter, luring you into thinking that this was going to be some sob story where Sam eventually wins over the lovely Lara and blah blah blah. Nope! I plan to make this an action packed, love story where Sam finally gets a bit of Lara's limelight and learns her own strengths and weaknesses. I absolutely love Sam as a character and she had so much potential that, unfortunately, wasn't utilized in the game._**

**Again, please let me know what you think my dear readers. You guys are the reason I continue writing. :)**

**_Oh, and if you had somehow forgotten...GNOMES!_**

**_-Star_**


	3. When It Won't Save You

**DISCLAIMER: I in no way or under any circumstances am claiming any part of the Tomb Raider Franchise. It is owned by whatever group of pure intellectual minds created it. In fact, I bow down and kiss the ground they walk upon for creating all that is Tomb Raider. Your devotees thank you and are humbled by your genius.**

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**A/N: _So, first of all, let me apologize for the long wait for this chapter. The past two weeks have been crazy busy for me and I wasn't able to do much writing. But, atlas, I could not leave my poor, faithful readers waiting too long for another update. So please! Forgive me! Just to show how sorry I am for keeping you all hanging, I murdered no gnomes since the last chapter. Now they sit around my living room playing on my gaming consoles and ordering delivery pizzas with my money. Now do you understand how sorry I am?!  
Anyways, on the bright side of things! I officially have a new Beta! Everyone, please give a big thanks to Mddlmn23!  
Now, on with the show!  
_**

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In Her Wake

_Chapter Three: When It Won't Save You_

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"_Lara, we have to go!" my voice sounded extremely loud because of my close proximity to the internal microphone. The camera was angled toward Lara, as expected, but it was still able to capture the nervous glances I kept casting at the library's main entrance. _

_My best friend was taking her time packing up the ragtag messenger bag she's had since boarding school. I swear she must have found it on some mock archeological dig as a kid in some decrepit, abandoned schoolyard. Most of its edges were frayed, the material finally giving away under the weight of college textbooks and neatly filed binders. I eagerly awaited the day her persevering satchel bust open, spilling its entrails of research papers and ink pens. _

"_If you would just give me a moment, Sam…" Lara trailed off, clearly frustrated at my urgings. "And stop yelling. This is a library in case you've forgotten."_

_I hadn't, of course, and neither did the librarian sitting at the front desk. I picked up the video camera, toying with the zooming mechanism in order to better capture the malicious glare being leveled at me. "Yeah," I dragged out the word as I turned the video camera in my hands to catch the way I contorted my face into a comical expression, clearly ridiculing the elderly woman. I panned the display back over in time to catch the librarian's dismay. It didn't take long for her shock to morph into outrage at my actions. The unhealthy shade of red that her tired, wrinkled face had turned was alarming. "Sheesh. Someone needs to get laid."_

"_Who?" Lara asked distractedly, more focused on shuffling her papers around in their correct sequence. She was always so particular about unparticular things. _

_The camera continued to film as the librarian struggled to hoist her large frame from the chair beneath her. When freed, she began a quick shuffle towards us, pushing up the glasses that had fallen low on her nose with frightening determination. _

"_Alrighty then. Lara, we really have to go." I noted that the incoming lady had increased her awkward hustle by pumping her arms, her feet shambling across the carpeted floor with surprising speed. "Like now."_

_Lara took a deep breath, letting it out slowly before facing me. "Sam," she pronounced my name very deliberately, her tone one a parent would use when carefully explaining a difficult concept to a young child. "As soon as I get my stuff together, we—" _

_By this point, the bookkeeper's chin had tucked in close to her chest, strangely akin to a bull going in for the kill. Beyond caring that Lara was bizarrely irrational about keeping her papers as unblemished as possible, I snatched at the reminder of the pages stacked on the desk we had used and shoved them into the tiny camera bag dangling from my shoulder. Her incredulous expression would have made me laugh at any other time if I weren't so intent on making a speedy departure. I knew how to pick and choose my battles and this wasn't one I'd win._

_Seizing Lara's hand, I all but dragged her from the library. Chancing a glance back, I saw the elderly woman waddle ever faster when she realized her target was beating a hasty retreat. Luckily, I had youth on my side and managed to safely burst through the double doors leading outside. Even with a protesting Lara digging in her heels, we managed to get a relatively safe distance away and thwart the librarian's pursuit._

_Stopping to catch my breath, I noticed the camera had an unflattering sight of my blue jean clad knees and the pavement so I quickly angled it towards Lara. She appeared to not have even broken a sweat from the unexpected sprint out of the library. Such a contrast to my painful gasps that could easily be heard off screen. _

_Lara placed her hands on her hips unhappily while she waited for me to recover enough to explain myself. Wordlessly, I pulled out the crumpled papers from the camera bag which had somehow managed to wrap itself around my neck at one point in our grand escapade. The offered papers were a sign of truce but Lara still snatched them from me, eyeing their crinkly appearance distastefully._

"_So," she began, fully intending to get to the bottom of things. "Care to explain what that was all about?"_

_I was about to rush into a full apologetic tirade when the last person I wanted to see showed up—Alex Weiss._

_He always came looking for Lara around this time every day since he knew he could always find her in, or around, the library. He was the reason I was so anxious to get Lara away from there in the first place. He was why I kept throwing apprehensive glances towards any and all exits. _

_Should have known he'd find us regardless by using his creepy 'always-lurking-about-the-shadows-and-waiting-to-s trike' superpower. _

"_Lara!" He chirped happily, his megawatt smile already in place and cranked to its highest setting as he jogged over to where we stood. I was extremely pleased when I took notice that he was just as out of breath as I was. I realized that he must've run after us like a lovesick fool when Lara and I had taken off so quickly. _

_Lara, being the ever-clueless and courteous girl, greeted him with a warm smile that made my blood curdle with jealousy. I practically gag as he melts into a gooey puddle at her feet. _

"_Hey, Alex," she acknowledges. He stumbles and stutters out his own greeting, completely ignoring my own presence. _

_God deems fit to further demonstrate his dislike of me when the wind chooses that very moment to shake loose a page from the crumbled mess Lara still held in her grasp. The camera follows its motion as it flutters to the ground near her boot. Naively, she bends down to retrieve it, completely mindless of the fact that from this angle Alex has a perfect view of her cleavage. An ugly mixture of jealousy and protectiveness rears its ugly head and the camera quakes in my grasp._

_I know I have to do something so in a stroke of ingenuity; I bodily block his free show by throwing myself at him in the disguise of a big hug. I hit him with enough force that the breath leaves his lungs forcefully and I silently rejoice inside at the painful bark that leaves him. My celebration is short lived once I realize that my arms are latched around his sweaty neck and his unruly hair is scratching my face. _

_Using the best cheerfully-fabricated voice in my arsenal, I exclaimed, "Alex! Aren't you going to say hi to me too?"_

"_O-oh," he stuttered stupidly, as if he's only just now noticed my presence. "How are you, Sam?"_

_I pulled away from him as if I'd been burned by his nearness, the camera thumped against the back of his head; completely accidental, of course. "Terrible. Just terrible," I lowered my voice conspiringly as I continued. "You see, I literally just started my monthly cycle and let me tell you," I paused to emit a short patronizing chuckle before turning serious once again. "It is gushing out of me."_

"_Sam—" Lara tried to intervene but I just raised my voice over hers._

"_Erupting like a geyser, and the _pain_. Oh God, don't even get me started on the pain."_

"_I think that's enough information about that," Lara frantically interrupted my tirade. Alex just gaped at me, horrified. _

_As Lara tried to apologize to Alex for my unnecessary outburst, I wordlessly imitated the motions of stabbing my stomach with a knife while my face morphed into silent agony. Embarrassed, Lara quickly spouted out some excuse for my behavior and pulled me away by the hand. Alex was left staring after us disbelievingly, adjusting his glasses awkwardly. _

_Walking away, my inner wickedness starts up a little jig full of self-righteousness but it isn't long before the guilt starts picking away at my resolve. We're halfway back to our dorm when I begin to feel terrible about my actions once I realized how quiet Lara had been since leaving Alex. I couldn't help but lift up my camera in order to capture the indecipherable look on her face. Even with her face set in stone, walking slowly with the sunset at her back, she's beautiful. _

_If I'm honest with myself, I'd admit that Alex isn't such a bad guy and Lara could have done much worse. It's obvious that he's completely crazy about her. Plus, I guess he isn't totally lacking in appeal. I could see how Lara could find him attractive in that geeky, cluttered kind of way. _

_It just hurts to think of the two of them together. For as long as I could remember, Lara has never shown interest in anyone. She was much too involved with her books and part-time jobs and I was able to put my deeply rooted fear of losing her to another on the back burner. Now, it seemed I was going to lose her and I still wasn't prepared in the slightest. _

_I was broken out of my thoughts when Lara finally decides to speak up about whatever has been on her mind. She had been throwing wayward glances my way for some time as we walked quietly together, our fingers brushing every so often. "You like him, don't you?"_

"_Him?" I questioned, completely confused where this conversation was going._

"_Alex," Lara stated, her face still uncharacteristically blank and carefully giving away no secrets. I'm in the process of trying to figure out how she came up with that ridiculous notion when she once again says, "You like him."_

_I cautiously scan her face and realize that I can't read her usually expressive eyes and it scares me. I'm trying to formulate something to say, _anything _to say, but I must have taken too long. Lara gives me this slow nod, like a confirmation or a promise before once again looking straight ahead._

_I finally find my voice and timidly ask, "Why do you say that?"_

_She's quiet for a long time, our footsteps against the sidewalk the only thing to disrupt the awful silence that has descended upon us. She still won't look at me. "I'm not stupid, Sam. I see the way he looks at me and I see how much it hurts you. You had to practically throw yourself at him back there for him to notice you."_

_As soon as Lara's words trailed off, it was as if the floodgates that had been holding all her emotions back had finally gave way. A torrent of feelings crossed her face so quickly that I had a hard time identifying any of them. Lara quickly looked away but I was able to isolate and bring to light one apparent emotion; grief._

_My heart broke. _

_I didn't bother to correct her assumption because if I told Lara that she had gotten it all wrong—that I wasn't jealous of her—that it wasn't Alex that I liked—then she would know. She would realize that it was her that I longed for. That it was her that I was completely head over heels in love with._

_And she would hate me for it._

_So I stayed silent and fought the painful knowledge that I was the only thing standing between Alex and Lara's happiness. I stayed quiet because I knew deep down that as agonizing as it was to be so unfair to my best friend, my heart would cease to beat altogether if I lost her to another._

* * *

It was dark by the time I dragged my weary body up the small flight of stairs to bang on the door to the humble two-story house. I saw a light turn on from somewhere inside before I could hear various locks being disengaged and the door was pulled open abruptly.

The porch light was switched on sharply and I had to shield my eyes for a moment. It wasn't long before I was able to make out the familiar figure standing in the doorway.

"Long time, no see, huh Reyes?" I waved awkwardly, giving a drowsy smile. I had been walking all day and most of the night to get here, only sticking to back alleys and not stopping to speak to anyone who tried to approach me.

"Sam?" Joslin Reyes stands in the doorway, quickly putting away the handgun she must have grabbed on the way. It seemed that Lara and I weren't the only ones to become a bit paranoid after Yamatai. "What the hell happened to you?! Is that blood?"

I glanced down at my clothes and tried to wipe away the stains of blood from my shirt. My half-hearted attempts were ineffective, of course, since I gave up trying to staunch the blood flow from the slice near my hairline hours ago. I had summarized earlier that I must have gained it when the shards of glass from my window rained down on me. Even now, the wound wept sluggishly, trickling blood into my eyes.

"What happened to her?" Another voice asked unexpectedly. I jumped slightly at the young face that appeared from behind Reyes, my nerves coiled and pulled taunt.

"Go back to your room," Reyes demanded, her tone brooking no arguments.

"But—" the girl, who looked no older than fifteen, began to protest.

"Not now, Alesha! Do what I say."

Alesha looked very displeased but wisely obeyed her mother's request. Reyes just stared me down as if I were some puzzle she couldn't quite put together until a door could be heard closing from somewhere upstairs. The ex-cop ushered me inside quickly, steering me into the small living room. It was cluttered but in a controlled chaos kind of way. Pictures of Alesha at every stage in her life hung on the walls and rested on end tables lovingly.

Reyes disappeared into the connecting kitchen where I heard the sound of running water. I stood in the middle of the room, dripping blood on the carpet and falling asleep on my feet. I was jarred from my exhausted state when Reyes appeared once again, several towels and rags in one hand and a bowl of water in the other.

"Take a seat," Reyes managed to request without sounding too harsh as she laid out several large beach towels where I was expected to sit.

When I finally lowered myself, my body cried in relief and I couldn't stop my eyes from fluttering shut. Unconsciousness was a very real and possible bliss that beckoned to me powerfully.

"Oh, no you don't missy. You're not passing out on me with a head wound like that," the ex-cop shook me until I opened my eyes. "Keep your eyes open and your head back."

Wordlessly, I did as she said. Now I understood why Alesha didn't argue too much with her mother earlier. Reyes was definitely not one to cross. Somehow I had forgotten this since Yamatai.

I hissed when a cool, wet rag was dabbed at the still bleeding cut above my right eye.

"Hmm," Reyes hummed approvingly after looking into my eyes for a long period of time. "No concussion as far as I can tell. So, you going to explain what the hell happened to you and why you showed up on my doorstep looking like some abused runaway?"

I was so tired but I managed to slur out my account of the absolute hellish experience I had been through. It was hard to believe that all of it had occurred just several hours before. Somehow sitting on Reyes' couch made it seem like it had been lifetimes ago. The ex-cop listened to the whole account in silence, a hard look in her eyes.

When I finished, she just kind of shook her head as if disgusted with me before saying, "Look, from what you're saying, this has obviously got to do with something Lara has gotten herself involved with. I think you have just somehow managed to get yourself caught in the crossfire. You need to go to the authorities with this, Sam. They can keep you safe until all this blows over. Did anyone follow you here?"

"N-no," I stuttered out, sounding way more uncertain than I meant to.

"Well it doesn't matter now. If anyone did, they already know you're here," this revelation threw Reyes into motion. Pulling her cellphone from the pocket of the night robe she wore, she dialed a number quickly. I was only able to catch Reyes saying, "Mike, there's been some trouble. I need…" before she disappeared up the stairs.

I sat in the comfortable living room quietly and I realized that all I wanted to do was sleep until all this mayhem that surrounded me disappeared. I was too exhausted to even cry at the unfairness of it all.

"Lara, where are you?" I asked the empty room. Loud footsteps on the level above me were my only answer.

Against my better judgment, I dozed off, the backpack still strapped to me pressing into my back uncomfortably.

I was shaken awake once again, coming face to face with a now fully dressed Reyes. "I've sent Alesha to stay with a friend and I have a couple of old coworkers camped outside, keeping watch on the house. We go to the local precinct first thing in the morning. Now, do you still have the cellphone Lara called you from?"

"Uh…yeah," I answered after my sluggish brain finally caught on to what Reyes was asking for. Reaching into my back pocket, I offered up the device willingly. "Here."

"Good," the ex-cop stated, already tapping away at the touch screen. "Go back to sleep. This will take some time anyways."

"Time?" was the only stupid question I was able to formulate with my muddled mush of a brain.

"I'll be tracing the call Lara made. If we're lucky, we can locate where the call was made."

"You mean we can figure out where Lara might be?" I asked; hope blossoming in my chest and bringing me back from dreamland. Finally, some good news to be had.

"Like I said, if we're lucky. It depends on a number of things but most of the newest phones like this one," she paused to hold up my cellphone, "make things a lot easier to track."

I silently vowed to do my best not to let this particular phone succumb to the same fate as most of my past devices; a long, painful fall to the hard ground.

"Now, get some sleep. If you feel up to it, you can take a shower in the bathroom across the hall," Reyes ordered tossing me a pile of folded clothes and a blanket. Once she left the room, I quickly changed, extremely grateful to lose the bloody clothes I had worn all day. I decided to forgo the shower until morning since I felt dead on my feet.

Stretching out on the couch, I stared up at the ceiling. Before I succumbed to sleep, I held an image of Lara in my head and hoped with all my being that she was safe.

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_**Chapter Song: "Over My Head" by The Fray**_

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**A/N#2: _Okay, so I must confess that a lot of my reviewers really don't care too much for the gnomes (which I can totally understand). Which is why I've decided to do away with the gnomes altogether. As of now, my new hostages are cutesy forest animals! Bwahahahaha! So save the Easter bunnies and baby reindeer by dropping me a review!  
Now, be very quiet, I'm hunting gnomes.  
_**

**_-Star_**


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